Pantry Customer, Volunteer Suzie Decenzo Connects Neighbors to Food Aid in Rural Ohio
Suzie Decenzo may have retired from her career in social work, but that hasn’t stopped her from connecting others with community resources. As the 73-year-old Noble County resident and her husband Chris have learned to make the most of the pantry network in their part of Appalachian Ohio, they’ve spread the word about food aid to their neighbors.
“Hooking people up with resources is really my thing, especially for people who are older and have a hitch in their giddy-up,” Susie said proudly.
Having spent their working years near Columbus, Susie and Chris retired to Noble County near the Ohio-West Virgina border to enjoy a quiet life and the joys of homesteading. Being new to the area and having a tight budget encouraged them to seek out local resources—much like those Susie had referred people to in Franklin County. Chris eventually discovered Lutheran Social Services (a Mid-Ohio Food Collective partner agency that distributes fresh food through the foodbank). After going there for the first time, the Decenzos realized the difference shopping at LSS’ Caldwell pantry could make.
“It was kind of like a grocery store. A lot of people don’t know about it,” Susie said. “We shopped there, and it was great! We always went for the things that would store well.”
The pantry offers staples such as potatoes and onions in addition to seasonal produce. On top of helping stretch her household budget, the bulk items from the pantry encouraged Susie to find new ways of using and saving food. Several years ago, she learned how to can and preserve produce from her Mennonite neighbor. She’s used that knowledge ever since and is pictured above with sweet potatoes from LSS that she canned herself.
As Susie learned about the other food assistance opportunities in the area, her social worker instincts started to kick in. When she met other seniors, she began telling them about local pantries and food assistance programs. Soon, hunger relief became something of a post-retirement hobby for her and Chris.
Susie regularly spreads the word about food assistance through her church and hands out LSS literature to neighbors. She estimates that about 20 households are getting help with food thanks to her informal outreach efforts. In addition, she picks up food for several of her qualifying neighbors’ households—a process called proxy shopping—and volunteers at a nearby drive-through food distribution at Faith Baptist Church in Belle Valley.
The volunteer network that has grown around the pantries and distributions in Noble County includes people of all ages and backgrounds, Susie said. She and Chris have an active group of fellow seniors who volunteer together. It’s a great way to meet new people, stay connected, and give back to the community. Helping neighbors directly is also a good way overcome the stigma commonly associated with food assistance in rural Ohio, she added.
Susie said the need in her community has continued to grow, and she and Chris are busier than ever with proxy shopping, canning, and volunteering. While the life they’ve made in Noble County is a bit busier than they initially thought it would be, Susie said she wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“We planned to stay busy in retirement,” Susie said. “Since we can barely keep up, I think the plan is working really well!”